The final round of the 2026 Tongji University International Student Innovation Competition was held on July 2 in Room 902 of Zhonghe Building on Tongji's Siping Road campus. The competition was jointly organized by the university's International Students Office, the School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and the Tongji University Committee of the Communist Youth League, with support from the Shanghai branch of the Bank of China. The event was designed to strengthen innovation education for international students and to nurture globally minded talent with strong problem-solving skills and a sense of social responsibility.

Liu Run, Deputy Party Secretary of Tongji University, addressed the final. He noted that Tongji has long embraced an open and inclusive approach to education. The university has established partnerships with over 330 universities worldwide and built 12 specialized international cooperation platforms, creating a high‑standard system for cultivating globally competent talent. As a national‑level base for advanced international innovation talent, the university closely integrates entrepreneurship education with its international talent development efforts. Leveraging the Tongji Entrepreneurial Valley and surrounding industrial resources, it provides end‑to‑end support for international students to start innovative ventures and encourages young scholars from around the world to apply their expertise to real‑world challenges.

Liu stressed that the projects submitted to this year's competition focused on green and low‑carbon development, digital technologies, global well‑being, and cultural exchange—demonstrating the unique strengths that international students bring through their cross‑cultural backgrounds. The projects, he added, combine technical merit with practical promise. The competition, he said, was more than a contest; it was a cross‑border exchange of ideas.

Launched in April 2026, the competition accepted innovation project submissions from international students across the university, spanning sectors including manufacturing, energy, environmental protection, emerging industries, and artificial intelligence. Following an initial review of written materials, 16 projects were selected for the final round.

During the finals, participating teams delivered presentations covering project innovation, product overviews, market analysis, business plans, organizational structure, marketing strategy, and financial projections. Their presentations demonstrated strong interdisciplinary thinking and a clear commitment to applying their expertise to real-world challenges.

A panel of judges from both academia and industry evaluated the projects across multiple dimensions—including originality, feasibility, social value, and teamwork. The panel included Jin Xing, Branch Manager of the Yangpu Sub‑branch of Bank of China Shanghai; Wu Yongfeng, Director of the Shanghai Lingang New Engineering and Industry‑Education Integration Research Institute; Chen Yili, Director of Tongji University's International Students Office; Shi Weiguo, Deputy Secretary of the Tongji University Committee of the Communist Youth League; Huang Di, Deputy Dean of the School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship; Professor Zhang Yingli from the School of Physics and Engineering; Lei Hui, Senior Engineer at the School of Energy and Materials, Shanghai Polytechnic University; and Lyu Zhuyun, Senior Client Manager at the Yangpu Sub‑branch of Bank of China.

The success of the 2026 Tongji University International Student Innovation Competition marks an important step in the university's efforts to deepen innovation education for international students and advance its international talent development strategy. The competition brought together young scholars from around the world to exchange ideas and engage in intellectual dialogue. The university's International Students Office will continue to strengthen the entrepreneurship and innovation education system for international students, unlock their creative potential, and cultivate globally competitive talent—doing its part to build a community with a shared future for humanity.

Source: Tongji University